Jonathan Noel

The first exposure that Jonathan Noel, Ph.D., M.P.H. had to public health was during an internship with the Connecticut Department of Public Health. For a summer, he assisted with the development of a plan to counteract pandemic flu. Jon— an undergraduate at the time — offered advice that could impact thousands, hundreds of thousands, and even millions of lives.

After that internship, he was hooked. Jon's public health career has gone in many directions since that first encounter, but he has never gotten over the awe that a single decision made by only a few individuals can influence the lives of so many.

After finishing his undergraduate degree, Jon enrolled in a Master of Public Health program. There, he was involved in alcohol- and substance use-related projects. The most influential project was evaluating alcohol marketing shown on television. Determining how corporations market dangerous consumer products became a serious research interest of Jon's, and he has since completed numerous research projects that evaluated how marketing influences alcohol use and what policies are most effective are mitigating those effects.

Although Jon has spent the majority of his time researching alcohol and alcohol policy, his research interests vary widely and have included tobacco, illicit drugs, environmental health, cancer, maternal and child health, mental health, behavioral addictions, gender studies, disabilities, worker safety, and the social determinants of health.

Jon uses his diverse background and experiences in combination with modern teaching techniques, such as team-based learning, project-based learning, and inquiry-based learning, to teach the next generation of health science and public health professionals.

Education

• Ph.D., Public Health (Social and Behavioral Sciences), University of Connecticut
• M.P.H., Public Health, University of Connecticut
• B.S., Molecular & Cellular Biology and Biological Sciences, University of Connecticut

Teaching Interests

Addiction, Mental Health, Marketing, Social Media, Health Policy, Chronic Disease, Epidemiology

Scholarly Interests

Social Epidemiology
Policy
Addiction
Mental Health
Research Methods
Biostatistics

Courses

• HSC4900: Data and Evidence in Health: Research Capstone
• HSC4100: Health Policy, Ethics and the Law
• HSC2400: Research Methods for Health Science
• HSC1100: Determinants of Health
• HSC1010: Introduction to Health Professions